Low-Temperature Sintering and Piezoelectric Properties of (Na0.5K0.5)NbO3 Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics

Abstract

(Na0.5K0.5)NbO3 (NKN) ceramic with 1.5 mol% CuO added (NKNC) was well sintered even at a low temperature of 900 degrees C with the addition of ZnO. Most of the ZnO reacted with the CuO and formed the liquid phase that assisted the densification of the specimens at 900 degrees C. A few Zn2+ ions entered the matrix of the specimens and increased the coercive field (E-c) and Q(m) values of the specimens. High-piezoelectric properties of k(p) = 0.37, Q(m) =755, and epsilon(T)(3)/epsilon(0)=327 were obtained from the NKNC ceramics containing 1.0 mol% ZnO sintered at 900 degrees C for 2 h.